Do Son 
Europol has joined forces with law enforcement agencies from eight countries to combat criminal networks operating under the emerging model of “violence-as-a-service.” This disturbing new form of criminal enterprise focuses on recruiting minors to carry out violent acts in exchange for monetary rewards.
The international operation, codenamed OTF GRIMM, involves the coordinated efforts of security forces from Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway.
The “violence-as-a-service” model represents a grim outsourcing of criminal activity. Organized crime groups seek out young individuals willing to commit threats, assaults, and even homicides for a fee. Recruitment efforts are primarily conducted through social media platforms and encrypted messaging apps, where vulnerable youth are identified and targeted.
The spectrum of crimes in which these minors are entangled is vast — ranging from drug trafficking and cyberattacks to online fraud and aggressive extortion. While such schemes have existed in various forms before, their scale has surged alarmingly in recent years. Adolescents are lured with promises of easy money, a sense of belonging to exclusive groups, or elevated social status.
A striking feature of modern criminal communication lies in its covert nature. Offenders often communicate using coded messages, memes, and gamified instructions that frame illicit tasks as entertaining challenges — a tactic designed to appeal to younger audiences.
To confront this growing menace, the participating nations have devised a multifaceted strategic response. This includes enhanced intelligence sharing, joint investigations, and a concentrated focus on mapping the structure of these criminal organizations — identifying key organizers and service facilitators within the networks.
Law enforcement agencies also intend to collaborate with social media platforms to curb recruitment efforts and dismantle these networks in their infancy, cutting off channels of influence before they take hold.
